Lloyd George at Home: Xmas 1938 & Jan 1939

At Lloyd George's home in Surrey – Bron-y-de farm, Churt – young and old await the arrival of Sant Claus on Christmas Day for he brings presents for all, including the aged ex-Prime Minister himself. And the new year holds more excitement: snow (which necessitates the feeding of hay to cattle and sheep grazing the white stuff in vain in the fields) and wambling Chow Chow pups, a breed Lloyd George (but not a Siamese cat) was particularly fond of.

Lady Valerie Davidia Daniel, daughter of Lloyd George's eldest son, Richard, interviewed by NSSAW in 1997, remembered staying at Downing Street for long stretches at a time, there being nursery accommodation on the top floor for Lloyd George, an indulgent grandfather, always enjoyed children's company. He would allow them in to the Cabinet Room where, she recalled, they would jump about on the furniture, and once he hung a bunch of bananas on a tree in the garden so that it looked to the children as if such exotic fruit really did grow there for real! NB: The poor quality of the Christmas shots is owing to the use of light from a projector which has allowed only a small, square area within the frame to be exposed.